Hostage
by it wasn't me
Summary: Hermione is kidnapped what is to become of her? who will rescue her? and how much does she have to endure?find out in my story WARNING there are references not suitable for children!
1. Chapter 1

13

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

**Chapter One – Against Her Will**

Draco Malfoy sat at his father's desk in the study, one of the centerpieces of the great Malfoy Manor.

Lucius strode into the room and pointed his wand, muttered something quickly and Draco yelped.

"How many times have I told you not to put your disgusting oafish feet onto my mahogany Draco?"

"Sorry father" the younger man apologized.

"Anyhow I have called you in here to discuss a matter of great importance" His father told him.

"What's that father?" Draco asked and sat up at once

"The dark lord has confided in me a plan and he needs us to use our dungeons for a short while" Malfoy Senior said

"Who is he kidnapping?" The young blonde asked

"I believe you call her "mudblood" most days" Lucius laughed

Draco snorted and joined in laughing too.

Hermione granger was a pretty girl just turned 17 years old. She was the best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with whom she attended Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. The golden trio as they were named by other members of their school had been enemies with Draco Malfoy now for six years. Hermione was a muggleborn witch, which meant that both her parents were muggles (none magical people). Draco Malfoy was a pureblooded wizard; he came from a long line of witches and wizards and was very proud of his heritage. He had called her a mudblood so many times in the course of knowing her.

"When is she going to be arriving father?" Draco asked out of interest. This was going to be fun, to torture her and make her life a living hell out of school. He could hardly wait.

"Sometime this evening I believe, apparently she will be at a quidditch match with Potter and Weasley and they are going to snatch her then. It's a good job our manor is unplottable. It will make things run much more smoothly" Lucius explained.

Draco knew that the manor was unplottable (meaning it couldn't be located for quite some time now so he relaxed a little bit being reminded of this factor. Because although he was excited at this new prospect, he was a little wary too because Harry Potter could be quite formidable.

"Hermione it's this way" Harry said pulling her by her sleeve.

"I am going that way" she retorted and pulled her sleeve away "honestly I can find my own way"

"Keep your hair on, I was just trying to help" the raven haired boy said and grinned at her

"You know 'Mione hates to be told" Ron said in between bites of his hotdog.

They eventually managed to find their seats and sat down.

"Thanks for letting me come and stay with you for the holidays Ron, my parents haven't had a break away on their own for ages" Hermione told him

"Mmm s'ok" he mumbled

"Do you ever stop eating?" she chided

Harry rolled his eyes and patted his ginger friend on the back almost causing him to choke on his remaining food.

The game had not long started and to be honest Hermione was getting just a tad bored

"I am just going to the lavatory" she told her friends, being engrossed as they were was typical of them and they pretty much ignored her, she could have told them Voldemort, the dark lord himself was sat right next to them and they wouldn't have said anything, she thought to herself as she ran down the steps.

Of course that could very well happen with the current situation in the wizarding world, lots of muggle killings going on, strange occurrences here and there and Harry's scar hurting a lot.

She was just freshening up when someone grabbed her by the elbow and suddenly she found herself apparated away to somewhere else.

She was stood in some sort of old fashioned dungeon. It even had iron manacles on the wall.

"Who the hell…." She started ranting

"Tsk tsk miss granger, it would never do to be rude to your host" a vaguely familiar voice said to her, their hand came out and stroked her cheek.

"Just you wait" she screamed, louder than even she thought she could "My friends will come looking for me"

"Let's hope you live long enough for them to find you then" the voice retorted sharply and slapped her across the face. She sunk to the ground from the pain and raised a hand to her cheekbone. It was bleeding slightly and it frightened her a bit, but she had to stay strong she told herself.

The figure that had spoken to her took her wand and fastened her to an old iron bedstead with some chains.

"I will be back to see how you have settled in later on" he said roughly and disappeared.

"Where's 'mione?" Harry asked Ron at the end of the match which their team had just lost.

"Don't know, didn't she say something earlier?" the redhead asked

"Well yeah, but I wasn't listening"

They both ran down to find her, they checked the toilets, which they got shouted at for, the food stand and all around until everyone had left and they were being shepherded out of the ground too.

"We have to go and tell dad" Ron said and grabbed Harry.

"Do you think she got bored and decided to go back early?"

"No she would stick it out for us" Harry said "she is a good friend"

Meanwhile back in the dungeons Hermione was sitting staring at the stone wall. She had wiped the blood from her cheek on her jumper sleeve; it stung a bit but seemed to just be a scratch. She wasn't really all that worried yet about being trapped here but then she had only been here two hours and didn't really expect to stay all that much longer.

"How nice of you to come and visit us for the holiday's mudblood" a drawl she definitely knew very well said.

"Malfoy" she spat

"Now, now granger, there is no need to be rude. I just thought I would pop in and see how you're settling in" he smirked and strode over to her. "Why I remember just last week when you threatened to push me from the top of the astronomy tower"

"Yes well if you hadn't been trying to back me into the wall for no purpose then I wouldn't have threatened you would I?" she replied snippily

"I am really going to lose my patience with you granger if you can't start talking nicely" he told her and sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione laughed it was funny really it was a real dungeon with real chains and yet it looked really clean and the bed was freshly made too. Then she supposed she was lucky she had been provided with a bed.

"Honestly Malfoy how tall are you?" she asked and stared at him. He was pretty good looking but she hated him so much she couldn't see that side to him.

"Six foot, one" Draco replied

"Right so somebody that is six foot, one is really going to believe a little five foot, two person is going to launch them from the top of a building?" she asked

"Always the bloody know it all aren't you?" he sneered "and if I were you I would be careful how you talk to my father"

"Why might I hurt his feelings?" she asked and fluttered her eyelashes at him

"Well that's not quite what I meant but I will let you think on that one for a while" he muttered to her "oh and mudblood don't get too much of your filth over my dungeon"

He walked out of there without looking back, to which Hermione stuck her middle finger up at him, she didn't know why she did it, but it made her feel a little better anyway.

"What do you mean you lost her?" Molly Weasley shrieked at her youngest son Ron.

"Well she must have wandered off" Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"That's not really good enough" Arthur Weasley, Ron's father interrupted, "these are dangerous times son"

"We know Mr. Weasley" Harry said ashamedly

"I am going to have to inform the ministry of this at once" he told them "you two take this floo powder and contact everyone she knows"

Harry and Ron ran upstairs to the fire in Ron's bedroom and started calling on everyone from school. Floo powder was a marvelous thing, you could travel from fireplace to fireplace with it anywhere else that was on the floo network or you could use it to call people with like a telephone. They must have gone through everyone in their year that was a Gryffindor but had no joy at all.

Hermione had sat on the bed for what seemed hours and hours now and was beginning to feel tired, but she didn't dare drop off to sleep. Who knew what they would try to do to her.

"I've bought you some food" the voice she now knew as Lucius Malfoy said and put a tray down onto the bed

Hermione glanced over at it and saw there was actually really nice food on it. Beef, potatoes and vegetables.

Lucius noticed her surprise "we aren't going to starve you, well not until you become uncooperative anyhow" she could almost hear the smirk on his face. She didn't understand how he hid behind a hood and a mask and yet Draco just appeared as if he didn't care that she knew.

"Do I not get a thank you?" her kidnapper demanded

"bite me" she told him, it was not like her to say something like that all but she felt such hatred running through her that she was glad she had managed to only say that and not more

"Suit yourself" he snarled and slammed the door shut behind him,

'At least he left the food' she thought to herself as she began to eat.

It did not take her long to finish as she hadn't eaten for hours, she'd missed breakfast and then had planned on getting something to eat at the quidditch game but that had gone rather pear shaped. But now she had eaten so fast her stomach was really hurting, so she put the tray on the floor and lay down on the bed with one eye on the door.

BANG, the door was pushed open with an almighty force and this creature like man entered the room

"Ahh miss granger" he hissed at her and she recognized Voldemort in front of her

"Sorry what should I refer to you as?" she asked "evil scum, or hell's reject?"

"That will be enough of that" he said and tilted her face up to him, she didn't like the feel of him on her skin and it sent shivers down her spine

"For now you may call me my lord, however depending on how you play your part it may change to master or executioner"

Hermione looked at the floor, "what is it you people want from me?"

"Well we would like for you to help us out with a small problem that we have encountered" he hissed and picked up her dainty hand and inspected it closely

"What is it?" she asked

"well we would like for you to lure Mr. potter to you after the summer holidays, in other words you get to be bait" he explained  
"so you want me to rot here for the whole summer and then hope all of a sudden Harry will find me?" she asked incredulously

"not exactly, see we couldn't wait until you went back to Hogwarts as you know I can not go there, but we want him to come looking for you in September when he has no adults on his back." He told her

"And what if he finds me before September?" she asked

"Well for one thing, it wouldn't matter too much, I would just kill him faster and for another thing, he won't. This place is unplottable. The only way to find it is if a Malfoy brings you here themselves. And even once you have been you may not return unless they bring you again, ingenious I'd say" he grinned, or at least Hermione thought he was grinning it was hard to tell with such an inhuman face.

"Is that it?" she asked "you just want me to sit around all summer then you're going to kill us both?"

"Possibly" he considered "mudblood that you are, you are so bright it would pain me to do so. Do you know what your teachers say about you?"

"I know they say I am the brightest witch of my year" Hermione stated and looked at her hand which he was still holding

"They say that you will be great. That you are so bright you could be better than Merlin himself ever was. They say that the world is your oyster and with you by his side I don't stand a chance of killing Harry potter" he hissed at her

"But. I will kill him." He near shouted "and you, you will help me"

"I will not" she screeched

"But Hermione I can read your mind as easy as day. You have already told me such brilliant and useful things" he laughed at her.

'Damn him, I forgot he is a legilimens' Hermione swore to herself

"Well it's been a pleasure meeting you, for someone of lower blood you aren't too bad. Are you sure you aren't adopted?" he asked.

Hermione raised her hand to slap him and he bent close to her face, laughed and crushed her left hand. And with that he left, leaving Hermione even more upset than she had been before. She was now going over everything he had said to her and working things out. She nursed her broken hand carefully; if only she had her wand she could have fixed the bones by now.

Draco Malfoy was forever vain and at the moment was stood gawking at himself in the mirror for the tenth time that day

"Oh yes dear, your eyes look fabulous today" the mirror told him "I haven't seen that shade of grey in eyes before on anyone, and I have seen a few"

"Shut up" Draco snarled at the inanimate object.

He was bored; his father had told him that because of the delicate situation there household was now in, meaning holding prisoners that he was not allowed to go out for a while.

He kicked his bed in frustration and then sat down on the bed with his head in his hands thinking

'I wonder what they are going to do to her' he thought to himself 'torture, mental abuse then murder most probably' he grimaced at that 'I hate her, but what's she ever done to them' he was distraught for even though he never liked Hermione, he was not all that sure why he didn't like her. He had always been brought up to believe in this mudblood business but apart from her blood and the fact she was a know it all did she really deserve to die? He decided to pay her a little visit.

She was lay on the bed again but wide awake, she didn't dare go to sleep now after her disturbing visit.

"Hello again" Draco said coming and sitting on the foot of the bed.

She didn't reply

"Granger, I have come to talk to you" he said

She rolled over and still remained silent.

"I'll get my father in here if you don't look at me" he threatened menacingly

She rolled back over and stared at him

"Why have they bought you here?" he asked her, yet again to be met with no answer.

He slapped her round the face so hard she could taste blood and nearly blacked out. Right where his father had previously done so.

"I said why bitch?" he yelled

She looked at him and sat up as if to answer him then spat right in his face

"You filthy mudblood bitch" he yelled "nobody spits in my face, not anybody"

He pulled out his wand and pointed it right at her face and she just continued to stare at him. He could feel the hate emanating from her.

"I am going to curse you so bad; you won't even know who you are"

Hermione just sighed

"Cruc…." He began

"Expelliarmus" a loud voice shouted from behind him and his wand flew into Lucius' outstretched hand. Draco had been knocked to the floor with the force of the spell.

"Get up son, you're a disgrace. And do not try and do that again or you will feel the end of my wand. Do you understand" the elder man snarled "now get out of my sight, I do not want to see you for the rest of this day!"

Draco slunk out of the room, feeling utterly humiliated and very annoyed. He went to his room and straight to bed still fuming with his father.

"Hermione" Lucius said "it is Hermione isn't it?"

"You know it is" she said simply, he touched her cheek with his finger

"Did I do that?" he asked

"Not entirely" she said "your demon spawn decided to have a go as well"

"Insults don't bother me little girl, sticks and stones" he retorted

"How very muggle of you" she spat

"Well you know I actually have no problem with muggles, however if I want power from my lord then I must take on his problem with muggles"

Hermione didn't reply to this comment.

Lucius sat next to her on the bed and Hermione shifted away from him slightly

"that's a very pretty dress you have there" he said and proceeded to rip it from her body

Hermione just whimpered in reply.

"You really are very pretty you know" he murmured to her as he stroked her shoulder "I should think that's why Draco is so confused around you"

"Confused?" she whispered

"oh yes" Lucius said "you see he has been taught to despise you for your very existence and yet he knows you are extremely intelligent and also you are a true beauty too, and lets just say Draco's a chip off the old block and has a very strong eye for beauty"

Hermione began to panic and tried to move further away, but her chains were not very long and Lucius seemed to find it funny

"Don't worry" he said "I won't hurt you, well not too much anyway"

He grabbed her and pushed her down onto the bed and smothered her mouth with his….

"No there is no news yet Arthur" Kingsley Shacklebolt reported via the floo

"Ok thanks anyway" Mr. Weasley said

The whole Weasley family which was rather gigantic was sat around the kitchen table with Harry, looking miserable.

"I am going to go upstairs for a bit mum" Fred Weasley said and his twin brother George followed him. The Weasley's had a lot of children, bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, Ron and then Ginny their only daughter.

Aurors were scouring the country and the daily prophet was going to have Hermione's picture on the front page first thing in the morning. The mood was a somber one and nobody wanted to go to sleep in case of any news. Even Fred was just sat on his bed staring into space.

"Right everyone else to bed at once" Molly demanded of her children "its late and we won't do anybody any good if we are too tired"

Lots of groans followed but everyone trudged upstairs as ordered

Harry was sat on his bed in Ron's room

"We have to go look for her" he told Ron

"I know, but where?" the redhead asked him

"I don't know" Harry sighed "that's the problem, I have absolutely no idea where they would be"

"Who are they?" Ron asked dumbly

"Voldemort and the death eaters" Harry simply said

"Harry try and get some sleep, mums right" Ron said and tried to go to sleep himself but it seemed they were all going to be in for a long night.

"Well Hermione that was great, but I must dash off" Lucius chuckled at her

She was sore and couldn't stop crying.

"I will send someone down with some clothes for you, by the way did Voldemort tell you about the heir you are to what's the word you used? Spawn?"

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief

"oh yes, he wants to have a child with you, he believes it will be the most ultimately powerful individual on this earth" Lucius chuckled "I'll tell him you're not bad, he might even begin to look forward to it"

"I'd rather be dead" she retorted

But he ignored her and left, Hermione pulled the sheet over her near naked body. It was so cold in here. Soon after another death eater walked into the room and wolf whistled at her

"Here I bought you a dress, pity though because you seem to have gone up in my estimations just now" Hermione pulled the dress from his grasp and covered herself with it

"Shame" he said and left. Once he had left the room she put the dress on. On a normal day in the normal world she would have instantly fell in love with the dress it was gorgeous. It was a beautiful light grey velvet with a charcoal coloured corset on her. It was figure hugging yet stylish. But at this precise moment in time she abhorred it.

"Hello Draco, I hope you don't mind me waking you up" Narcissa Malfoy said as she crossed over to her son's bed.

"No mother its fine" he said and sat up "can I help you with something?"

"No dear not at all" she said "I wanted to help you actually"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and she continued

"Don't think I don't know what's going on in this house Draco, I know there is a prisoner in the dungeon and I am pretty sure of whom it is too. Of course nobody tells me these things but I know. Unfortunately I know most things that happen in this house and I wish I could be stronger for you but your father won't allow it. Anyway my point is that if you do not want to go on with all this then please don't. I don't ever want you to take part in something you don't want to"

"but mother I have to do what he tells me or he will just curse me, you know it as well as I do" Draco responded

"you have to be strong Draco, you are of age now and you need to be a man" she said and kissed his forehead "just remember what I said" and with that she was gone, leaving the boy more confused than he was before.

Days passed and Hermione began to lose all hope of ever escaping Lucius' evil clutches. Voldemort had not yet returned to the mansion however Lucius continued to pay her nightly visits. Draco had steered clear mostly unless his father had sent him down with food or such like for her. And even that he had placed on the bed and ran back upstairs.

Except for this evening, four weeks to the day since her capture, Hermione was sat on the bed in the same dress that Lucius gave to her on the first night. He took much more care with that one than her own. She was dirty and her hair was straggly. She was looking much thinner and pale.

Draco was doing his homework ready for the new term and had gotten stuck on a bit when he thought to himself 'seeing as the know it all bookworm is her, I might as well take advantage of it' and with that he had ran off to the dungeon with his transfiguration textbook.

"Well hello bookworm" he said and plonked himself down next to her "tell me how you do this spell"

"No" she said

"Let's not go through this again" he sighed "why do you continue to be so difficult"

"Because I hate you" she retorted

"Well the feelings mutual now tell me this spell before I hex you through to next week" he demanded

"Fine" she said and explained it as quickly as she could

"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" he asked her and got up to walk away

"Draco" Lucius called to him upon entering her little prison "your Hogwarts letter has arrived. He passed the envelope to his son "see no letter for you my dear, they really, really can't find you"

Hermione knew now that they would think her dead. Owls really did find their recipients ninety nine percent of the time unless they were dead pretty much.

Lucius stalked off and laughed.

"Such a shame you won't ever get to see your precious Hogwarts again" Draco smirked "and to think you would have been head girl too"

"Liar" Hermione said

"Really?" he asked her and showed her his letter

_**Dear Mr. Malfoy jnr,**_

_**We welcome you back to your seventh year at Hogwarts and have enclosed your list of required texts and school supplies.**_

_**We would like to take the time to congratulate you on becoming head boy and hope that you and Miss Hermione Granger of gryffindor will become an efficient and helpful head body to the rest of the students and the teachers alike.**_

_**Albus Dumbledore**_

_**P.S please find your badge enclosed**_

Hermione watched as he pulled the badge from the envelope and pinned it to his chest.

"Well at least they haven't given you up as dead yet then" he said

"Draco please" Hermione cried "I have to get out of here, I cant take it much longer"

"And why would I want to help a pathetic sniveling wench like yourself?" he asked

"Draco I am too young too die, I have done nothing wrong. I have worked so hard and I want to finish my last year at school. I want to fall in love, have children, and get a job. Dammit I want to have a wedding and all that stuff that people dream of" she wept "I haven't even begun to live my life yet and they want to just take it from me"

"no" he said sternly "its not my place, and you shouldn't even ask it of me" he left as quickly as he could, Hermione thought he had actually ran from there.

Draco decided to visit his father in his study as he knew he always spent his evenings in there drinking, and concocting murderous schemes.

He knocked at the door and was told to enter.

His father was sat at the desk with his feet up on the table Draco noticed. 'Typical' he thought to himself, 'double standards as usual'

"Good evening son, what can I do for you?" Lucius slurred and poured himself another glass of Ogden's firewhisky.

"I am fine father its just that mudblood…." He began

"The mudblood" his father interrupted "such creamy soft skin, such supple lips. I can't remember the last time I felt a body like that"

"Pardon me father I thought you said.." Draco went to reply

"I did say it, i must find some use for her, she can hardly sit there idling away her time Draco, and when your mother is as busy as she is with all her functions I might as well find some uses for our prisoner"

"But father, I thought you loved mother?" Draco asked

"Love? Draco really. I have taught you these emotions make us weak. People are there to be used, taken advantage of. Even your mother"

"But father, Hermione agreed to have, to have..." he stuttered

"Of course she didn't agree" his father laughed "fought like a maniac at first, but she is quite submissive now"

"You, you raped her?" Draco asked, he was in shock. His father wasn't really open about anything usually but once he was drunk he would tell you anything

"Draco I would not use such a word" Lucius said "however I am drunk so yes"

"That's disgusting" Draco bellowed "you sicken me"

"Do not speak to me in that manner boy" his father growled and grabbed for his wand

"Sorry father, I don't know what came over me" Draco said "may I be excused"

"yes go, get out of my sight" Lucius said "I am going to finish this bottle and visit my little friend, you know I may keep her after all this is over anyway"

Draco fled from the study and ran to his room. His heart was beating much too fast but he knew what he had to do. He would have to wait until Lucius went to bed and passed out but he would help her escape.

"What do you think Hermione is dong now?" Ron asked Harry for the tenth time that day, by now Harry had, had enough

"Sleeping hopefully" he responded a lot more softly than he felt

"I HATE THIS!" Ron yelled "how can they not have found her yet. Its been a month"

"We all hate it Ron" Ginny interjected "we are all hoping for her return, especially her parents"

"I can't believe how fast they got back" Harry commented" I expected them to take a couple of days and they were back that night

"Harry your such an idiot sometimes, dad flooed to them and bought them back with him" Ginny explained "I swear you forget all about magic sometimes"

"I do actually" He said "especially when my mind is on other things"

"She will come back to us" Fred said, he had been sat quietly on Ron's bed playing with something or another

"Fingers crossed" George said "or is it toes? I never remember your muggle sayings"

"Its fingers" Harry assured him

Ron picked up his wand from the bedside table and pointed it at the curtains to draw them and instead the wand flopped down, Fred had replaced it with a famous 'Weasley's fake wand' they all laughed.

It was the first time there had been laughter in the house since she went missing and it would probably be the last but Fred could always be trusted to make people laugh.

Hermione's parents were staying at the burrow which was the name of the Weasley's house incase there was word.

Draco stole into the dungeon just after midnight and shook Hermione awake

"Shhhh" he said "its time to go"

"Time to go?" she mumbled but was instantly awake "but why?"

"Don't ask questions just come on" he said and pulled her up the stairs.

He had left his broomstick near the door and he grabbed it as he let them outside

"You want me to ride on that?" she gasped

"Look I know you are scared of heights, the whole school knows it, but if you want to go that is the only way" he told her

"Ok" she submitted and climbed on behind him

"Do you mind, I can't breathe" he told her and she loosened her grip on him slightly

They took off and were soon flying over fields and villages.

"Why did you help me? She asked him

"Because I do not want a slut like you with my father, it's not fair on my mother" he told her

"I don't want to help you in anyway, but I cannot bear you under our roof"

Hermione didn't respond, it didn't really matter why, all that mattered was she was free

"Where are you taking me?" she asked him

"To Hogsmeade, you're on your own from there, but it's quite a way, so don't keep asking questions all the way, or I will push you off" he growled at her.

He was too aware of her hands around his waist. They felt warm and secure in a way too. It bought back to him what his father had said 'such creamy soft skin, such supple lips. I can't remember the last time I felt a body like that'

He shook his head with fierce determination and tried to ignore her presence.

It was a hard thing for Draco to do; he had a crush on her for the majority of third year after she had slapped him. He remembered feeling a huge respect for her from that moment on. Most of the way he behaved towards her was to annoy her best friends and to give a show for the other Slytherins who loved people being ridiculed.

After a few hours they landed

"We are here" he stated and Hermione recognized Honeydukes and the three broomsticks

"Oh thank god" she cried "thank you Draco, so much. You don't know what this means to me"

"Do not sob all over me woman" he drawled "I am aware that you are happy to be free. However as I said I have not done it for your benefit and also now I have to look forward to going home and trying to make it look like it was nothing to do with me. This is going to be near on impossible."

"Well I still want to thank you" she said

"Listen up; if I were you, thank god I am not. But if I were I would get my ass up to Hogwarts before they come after you again" he said and smirked "see you soon mudblood"

"Bye" she whispered to him as he disappeared into the distance


	2. Chapter 2

9

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

**Chapter Two - Refuge**

She ran up to Hogwarts as fast as her feet would go. This was not very fast considering the beatings and other abuse she had suffered at the hands of Lucius and the other death eaters daily.

Eventually after what seemed hours she arrived at the main door to Hogwarts, the sun was beginning to come up and she knew that Lucius would be going to bring her breakfast in soon and boy was he going to be mad.

She pulled the huge chain that sat next to the large oak door, serving as a door bell of sorts. It could be heard in the main areas of the castle although it was not used often.

She waited a good few minutes and Professor McGonagall appeared

"Miss Granger" she said in amazement "Merlin, lets get you to the hospital wing at once. Can you walk?"

"I can, it just takes a while" Hermione answered quietly

"ALBUS! ALBUS!" McGonagall shouted "he was having breakfast in the great hall a moment ago. He should hear me"

Before Hermione knew it Professor Dumbledore had appeared, took one look at her and was levitating her up to the hospital wing

Hermione lay on the hospital bed, which usually felt really uncomfortable but now felt like heaven, she heard all the teachers whispering in Madam Pomfreys office

"Amazing, she managed to walk up here" Pomfrey said

"Such determination" Professor McGonagall said proudly

"Definitely a fighter that one. I have informed the Grangers and Weasley's" Dumbledore said. "I have told them to come tomorrow; she is much too fragile today"

Hermione thought this strange as she didn't feel too bad. Although she seemed to mostly feel rather numb.

"Here" Professor Snape said "the potion you asked for"

"Thank You Severus" Dumbledore said "I will go and see the child"

Dumbledore appeared around the curtain surrounding her

"Miss Granger, I am afraid there are going to be a lot of questions, there are Aurors on their way and you must tell them everything you know" he told her

"I know" she croaked, she found her voice to be weak over the past few days. Probably from so much crying she thought.

"However it may be hard for you so I have had Severus bring me some veritaserum to make things easier for you. You won't need to think you can just answer" he explained to her.

"Yes sir" she said and he left her to sleep a fitful sleep. Madam Pomfrey told her she could have a sleeping draught as soon as the Aurors had been, but until then she just had to do the best she could.

It was near lunchtime when the four Aurors walked into the hospital wing in their matching uniforms

"Albus" the head of them, who Hermione recognized as Kingsley, said

"Good day gentlemen and Tonks" he greeted them, "I believe she is awake at present, but I ask for you to be as quick as you can for she is in quite a state"

"Hermione" Tonks said and sat down next to her "you poor thing"

"It's ok" Hermione said quietly

"right unfortunately in order to catch the people who did this to you we are going to have to ask you some questions even though I know it's the last thing you want to do. However I believe there is some veritaserum for you to take.

Hermione sipped the liquid from the vial until it was empty. It gave her a light headed feeling in a way, kind of like the words were just spilling from her mouth.

"And your captors were?" Kingsley asked

"Lucius Malfoy, and some other death eaters I did not recognize, and of course Voldemort" she stated

"How long have you been imprisoned for?" he asked her

"A little over four weeks I believe" she said

"How did you manage to escape?" he asked

"Draco Malfoy helped me to escape" she told him

"And finally were you beaten at all whilst imprisoned?" He asked sighing to himself, he knew the answer that was visible enough but strict ministry guidelines forced him to ask it anyway

"Yes very often" she replied

"Hermione love" Tonks said gently "were you raped at all?"

Hermione even to this day does not know how she did it but she said "no", even under the veritaserum and everything she said no. perhaps she wanted to keep a little shred of dignity even at this stage, she didn't know, but something in her told her to tell them no and she did.

Tonks looked at her in shock and then frowned at the other Aurors

"I will go and speak to Madam Pomfrey" she said and left.

Kingsley asked her some mundane and boring questions to check the potion was still under effect and found it to be working fine.

"Hermione" he said "are you sure you weren't raped?"

"No" she said again robotically "I was not"

"I can't do anything if she says no Tonks" Kingsley whispered to his colleague "lets go"

"Don't worry Hermione we are going to throw his evil carcass into Azkaban and throw away the key" Tonks said as they were departing.

Soon after Madam Pomfrey came and bought her the sleeping draught she had been longing for and then she knew of nothing but quiet, blank darkness.

"Albus I am sorry but it is quite clear what this girl has been through, she must be under some sort of spell to say no under veritaserum" Madam Pomfrey declared

"Is that possible Severus?" Dumbledore asked

"It's highly unusual" professor Snape said "perhaps a memory modification Albus?"

"I don't think so, why leave all that in there and just take one bit away?" the older man asked

"Good point, perhaps it will come to light" Snape said and disappeared to the dungeons

"Poor, poor girl" Madam Pomfrey sobbed and went to her office.

"Yes quite" Dumbledore said and left to speak to her parents.

There were a couple more weeks until school began and Hermione had been confined to the hospital bed. She was utterly miserable and even though she had, had some visitors she couldn't bring herself to tell them all what happened to her. Dumbledore had told her that Lucius Malfoy had been arrested and was awaiting trial.

"What about Draco?" she had asked the headmaster

"Draco?" he asked

"Yes, he saved me. Did Lucius hurt him?" she asked, she was scared that he had, for all her hatred of him she couldn't bear to think anyone got hurt on her account.

"No apparently Lucius found Harry potters glasses at the scene and so thought it was him that saved you" Dumbledore laughed

"Harry's glasses?" she asked

"Yes and the very next morning Mr. potter awoke to find his bedroom window open and his glasses missing, awful coincidence don't you think?" his eyes twinkled at her and he smiled "quite resourceful is Mr. Malfoy, which is why I think he will make such a good head boy, speaking of which I took the liberty of ordering your school supplies for you, and I believe your mother is bringing you new robes and such like, she says you have lost too much weight, but I fear she will fatten you up soon enough. Anyway here is your letter seeing as the owls we sent all came back"

He handed her a thick envelope and went on his way. Hermione opened it and out fell a beautiful gold head girl badge. And she wept as though she would never stop.

"Hey" Harry said sitting next to her bed "bet you can't wait to escape this place"

"you bet your life I cant" she said, even after being in bed a week her voice was croaky and light, Madam Pomfrey thought it possible her vocal chords were damaged and she had professor Snape working on a potion to try and help her.

"I don't know how you cope being stuck in here so often Harry. I hate it" she confided in her friend

"Because I have my friends" he winked at her "just like you do"

"I missed you all so much" she said "I prayed I would see you all again, every day"

"We prayed for you too 'Mione" he whispered and stroked her hair

She leaned into him "never let me go again" she said

"I wont" he swore to her and as she slipped into sleep leaning on his shoulder "I will never let you go anywhere without me"

Draco had, had a rough few weeks with ministry officials taking over his house and carting his father off to Azkaban, the wizard's prison. But his mum had really come out of her shell, been assertive and sorted him out. He was even looking forward to going back to school now. Although he couldn't get Hermione off his mind no matter how hard he tried. Deep down inside he had hoped she would be ok and that she was safe. But at the front of his mind he despised her and consequently was getting more and more confused. He wanted to see her so badly and he wasn't sure why, so he told himself it was to make her miserable.

"Hermione come on, you're allowed out!" Her mother chirped to her

"Aren't you excited honey, it's the start of the year feast and the sorting" her father told her

"Yes dad" she croaked "I know it is"

He smiled at her and took her hand

"I am glad Dumbledore let us stay to see this, it will be interesting to see what you had to do" her mother said to her as they made their way to the great hall.

They sat at the end of the gryffindor table and Harry, Ron, Ginny and a few others came over and sat there too.

Hermione spotted Draco's blonde hair from across the hall and he scowled at her.

Hermione just turned her attention to the first years being sorted. Her parents were utterly engrossed and cheered whenever a new gryffindor was appointed.

"Hermione dear, Dumbledore is going to floo us home tonight sweetheart, we don't want to be under your feet now that school is starting" her mum told her

"And if you need anything at all, you call on us ok" her dad said

"Yes dad" she replied "I am going to miss you"

"We'll miss you too" they said and kissed her goodbye

They left and Hermione was left to her own thoughts for a moment

"Come along mudblood" a voice pulled her from her thoughts "We need to follow McGonagall, were you even paying any attention"

"Sorry" she whispered to him and followed them. Draco noticed the walking stick she was using but ignored it. She didn't even need it so much anymore but they wanted her to use it for a little while longer whilst she got used to walking around again.

"Seeing as you are both head students and responsible adults I expect nothing but the best behaviour from you both and I ask that you respect each other and work together as a team" McGonagall lectured them

They agreed

"The password is Sanctuary" she told them and bid them goodnight.

They made their way into their new living quarters it was a common room which had 3 doors leading from it. One was the bathroom and a bedroom each. Hermione's had an H engraved into the wood and Draco's a D.

"I am sorry about everything that happened Draco" she turned to the boy next to he and said

"What's all this first name crap granger? We aren't friends. We will never be friends!" he snapped

"Sorry if you don't like it but I can't call you Malfoy anymore" she said and sat down on the plush couch that was in the centre of the room

"Why?" he demanded to know

"Because Malfoy is your father Draco, and you are not him" she told him

"I see. Well if that's the case then that's the way it is. But remember this it's because of you that he is in prison and I can't forgive you that" he snarled

"Yes I remember. I asked to be kidnapped and beaten. Sorry I had forgotten" she croaked at him  
"what's the matter with your voice?" he asked forgetting to be nasty

"Don't know" she told him "hasn't been right ever since"

"About time you were a bit quieter" he drawled remembering to be mean.

"Goodnight Draco" she said and hobbled slightly into her room.

He just stared after her, she infuriated him. It wasn't so much because he hated her anymore but more that she confused the hell out of him. He was being mean to her on purpose and yet she still said goodnight.

The next morning Hermione was up early getting ready for classes. She was just finishing tying up her hair in the bathroom, when Draco sauntered in

"Morning" he chirped, Hermione raised an eyebrow

"My favourite mudblood" he added with a nasty snarl

"Good morning Draco" she said and bent to pick something up as she did so Draco noticed that her legs were shaking. He instinctively picked up her hairbrush and passed it to her.

"Thanks" she said and put it onto her shelf

"If I were you I would get a new one. That one doesn't seem to work" he said spitefully.

"Sure" she said and left for breakfast

"He didn't give you any trouble did he?" Ron asked gesturing to Malfoy who was engrossed in some tale or another to his Slytherin chums.

"If he did we're going to give him hell"

"Ron, you need to try and remember he saved me from them" Hermione said and pushed her food around a bit more

"When was the last time you ate properly?" Harry asked her

"I do, now and again" she said "I was fine until you started harping on about him" she complained

"Fair point" Harry said and shut up.

They finished their meal, well Harry and Ron did. Hermione just put her cutlery down and they left for their first class of the day. Double potions.

"I am sure they just give us double potions with the slytherins on the first day of the year to remind us how miserable the rest of the year is going to be" Ron complained whilst they waited outside the potions dungeon.

"Possibly" Hermione said "Ron stop complaining. You may as well make the best of it. I never thought I would see the potions dungeon again, so I am quite happy to be here"

That shut Ron up within an instant

"Sorry 'mione, I hadn't thought of it that way" he said embarrassed.

"Its ok" she croaked "I never expected you too"

"So weasel bee, glad to have your girlfriend back?" Malfoy asked from across the corridor

"Malfoy" Ron snarled

"What's the matter? Are you upset she would throw herself at my father and not you?" Draco asked, he was really trying to goad Ron into attacking him. He was just trying to throw some of his frustration onto somebody else. But Ron just gawped at him.

The next thing he knew he felt a blinding pain across his forehead and saw Harry walking away from him,

"Don't hit him Harry" Hermione said "he isn't worth it, and anyway he Is just upset"

"I will not have him saying those things about you" Harry said firmly

"You're in for it now potter" Malfoy said and pulled out his wand.

"GET IN" Professor Snape suddenly yelled at all the students, none of them knew when he appeared, he just was there.

They all ran into the classroom quickly to avoid trouble, although it took Hermione a little longer with her walking stick to get in there.

"Miss Granger, I haven't got all day" Snape said to her and turned his nose up.

"Sorry" she croaked and sat down next to her friends

"Can you believe the nerve of the man?" Ron asked "after everything you have been through and he still gives you a hard time"

"Weasley detention for talking" the teachers stern voice said.

The rest of the class went fairly smoothly, Neville upset his cauldron as usual and the slytherins and gryffindors made menacing gestures to each other on a frequent basis.

But finally it was over and Hermione's potion was labeled neatly in a small glass bottle, as she took it over to Professor Snape he spoke to her

"Miss Granger, the potion is done for your voice. If you could remain behind then we can try it out" she said softly

"Ok" she croaked

And went to slowly put her stuff into her bag.

"Its ok guys, I'll catch you up in the great hall" she told Ron and Harry.

"Wicked lunch!" Ron said and vanished from sight.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Harry asked

"Fine, although Malfoy is probably after you now, so watch your back" she told him. And with that he left.

"Ok I have never made anything like this before, but I assure you if it is physical damage to your vocal chords you will be fine again by this evening" Snape said and handed her the vial.

She drank it quickly "I thought it was going to taste awful"

"Ah you see miss granger, that's the beauty of custom made potions, you can change the taste and smell of them to suit. Not like the potions we follow in class, which have stringent guidelines" he explained

Hermione found it odd that he was talking to her like an actual person, but was pleased.

"Yes that makes sense" she said "I would really like to be able to make my own potions one day"

"Actually miss granger I wanted to tell you that next year I will have a vacancy for a potions apprentice as I have more free time. You may want to consider it. Although I know there are a few other students interested" he told her

"Really?" she asked sounding hopeful "me, a gryffindor would I actually stand a chance?"

Snape laughed "do you really think I hate you?"

"Yes" she croaked

"Funny girl, go to lunch" he said "and let me know how you get on with that potion"

"Bye Professor" she said and left to lunch feeling quite happy.

Harry and Ron seemed to be in some sort of staring competition with Draco across the great hall, until Hermione sat down.

"Hey guys" she said and helped herself to some food.

"Hi what did old greasy want you for?" Ron asked

"He made a potion to try and help my voice" she told them

"Didn't it work?" Harry asked

"Its not instant, hopefully it should start working later. If it is physically damaged that is" she explained

"Fingers crossed" Harry said and continued with his lunch.

Hermione was mostly pushing her food around her plate and having the odd mouthful here and there.

She looked across and saw Draco smiling at her. She smiled back but when he noticed he turned his smile into a frown. And tried to give her evil eyes. This made her want to laugh as it wasn't scary but she hid it because she didn't want to upset him further.

Classes went by pretty uneventfully for the rest of the day but the amount of homework given out was pretty shocking, Hermione had expected it but Ron and Harry would not stop complaining.

Draco was making his way back to his common room when Hermione appeared.

She seemed to be struggling with her book bag and the walking stick.

"Here" he said and took her bag for her, he lead the way inside.

"Thank you Draco" she said and followed him in. he had slung her bag onto her desk.

"I appreciate that" she said

"Yeah well don't get used to it" he said and then cursed himself for being soft.

He sat down on the sofa with his head in his hands. Hermione watched him and wondered what he was thinking.

"I can ask to go back to gryffindor tower if I am upsetting you by being here" she said

"I don't care where you are" Draco said "you really aren't worth thinking about"

"Ok" she said

He stood up and looked at her "why don't you hate me?"

"Because you saved me Draco" she replied "without you I would be dead and I owe my life to you"

"For merlins sake's Hermione I don't want to be your idol. I just did what I had to do. Hell Voldemort is madder at your best friend now than he has ever, ever been and that's because of me" he said trying to make her mad

"No it's because of me" she said "why do you want me to hate you so much?"

"Because you should" he said quietly. He slumped down onto the sofa in defeat "you should hate my whole family, you should hate all the pureblood wizards that want to rid you from the world and you should especially hate Voldemort. Hell I do"

"Draco I have come to realize that you want me to hate you, I don't know why. I think perhaps you think you'll feel less guilt for everything if I do" she said and sat next to him "but you know what I can't and I won't. You are not responsible for him, for any of them and I won't hold you to be"

He just stared at her

"Then what do we do?" he asked softly "we aren't friends but I can't hate you anymore"

"Perhaps we could try?" she suggested "we don't have to tell anyone"

"I don't know" he said "lets just call a truce for now and see what happens"

"Ok truce" she said and held out her hand for him to shake

"I thought you were right handed" he said

"Yeah I used to be" she said and shook his hand

Truth was since her hand had been broken and left for so long untreated the bones had set wrong and until they rebroke it and set it properly she couldn't use that hand very well anymore.

Hermione settled down to do her homework and Draco watched as she struggled to manage her things. She wrote left handed but it was messy

"Are you going to make it neat with a spell?" he asked

"No" she said "I don't have a wand, I am going to get one but not yet"

"Why not?" he asked

"Your father had it and I don't feel up to leaving school just yet" she said sadly

"I have to go" he said and ran off.

He made his way to the stone gargoyle to speak to Dumbledore

'now what was the bloody password'


	3. Chapter 3

8

**Authors Note: I realize in chapter one I said Voldemort broke Hermione's left hand. I meant her right hand. Sorry! I am so stupid sometimes.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

**Chapter Three – Inner Turmoil**

"Minty imps" a voice rang out behind Draco and the gargoyle began to move

Draco turned to see the headmaster stood right behind him.

"Come along then Mr. Malfoy, I assume you wanted to see me?" the old man said and proceeded up the steps.

Draco dumbly followed him into his office. He had never been in there before and was quite taken aback with all the stuff that Dumbledore seemed to have collected over the years.

"Just a few knick knacks" Dumbledore said "lemon drop?"

The blonde wizard politely refused

"Actually sir I came to see you about Hermione" he told the Professor and felt himself going a little red.

"I see and what is the problem?" Dumbledore asked

"Well she told me how she doesn't have her wand anymore, but I thought that if I could go home then I might be able to find it. I am sure my father will have stashed it somewhere" Draco explained

"Ah that's very nice of you Draco; however the Aurors currently have it as evidence for your father's trial. But fear not Hermione will be going to get a new one sometime over the next couple of days. Did she tell you she can't really use it anyway?" the old man asked

"Well yes" Draco said and shuffled his feet a bit "but I thought she would still want to have it"

"Well I don't know about that. To have something you can't use is often more frustrating than not having it at all" Dumbledore told him.

Draco shrugged "I suppose so"

"Well your heart was in the right place Mr. Malfoy and I thank you for coming to me. Perhaps best not to mention this to miss granger though"

"Yes sir" Draco said and left.

Albus Dumbledore watched the door closed and his eyes twinkled. Young people really surprised him sometimes, and others they were so predictable. He always knew that they would eventually become friends, he just wondered how long it was going to take them to realize,

Hermione decided that it was time to go for dinner and began making the slightly longer than usual process to the hall.

"Hey look it's the cripple" a cold feminine voice rang out from the stairway

A fair bit of laughter followed and Hermione saw it was pansy Parkinson. A girl her own age that was slytherins resident bitch

"So Hermione my father told me you like it rough?" Crabbe called out "is it true?"

Hermione walked on trying to ignore them

"Ask her if she likes older men" Pansy ordered Goyle.

Hermione heard this however and snapped.

"What's with all the interest Parkinson?" she snapped "just bitter that most men find you a troll?"

"Why you little cow" pansy screeched and ran towards the gryffindor.

"Parkinson, come along." a strong voice drawled "dinner is getting cold and there are more important things than a mudblood"

Hermione watched Draco take control of all of them and lead them into the great hall.

'Some truce' she thought to herself.

She sat next to Harry and Ron and half listened to them talking yet more quidditch

"What's wrong 'mione?" Ron asked whilst shoveling food into his mouth

"Nothing" she said and picked up an apple

"You look really miserable" Harry told her

"I am just a bit tired" she told them

"You look it" Ron said

"Gee thanks Ronald" Hermione frowned at him "I think I am going to go to bed"

"Night Hermione" Harry said "I hope you feel a bit better tomorrow"

"Night Harry" she smiled "Ron"

They both waved to her as she left.

Hermione made her way up to the head suite which was just round the corner from the teacher's wing

"Ah miss granger, how is the potion getting along?" Professor Snape asked as he rounded the corner and saw her

"I don't think its working" she croaked up at him

"Well that is interesting" he said "and most unfathomable, I will look into it further"

"thank you Professor" she said and he walked off scowling, clearly the man did not like his potions ineffectiveness, she could have sworn she heard him muttering swear words to himself under his breath as he stomped down the steps.

"Sanctuary" she said and climbed through the portrait hole. She looked over her homework and checked for any final mistakes before going to bed.

She was just brushing her teeth when someone entered the bathroom.

"What do you want?" she snapped

"Excuse me?" Draco asked. Confused by the sudden hostility.

"Truce my ass" she said and stormed past him "not worth the trouble am I?"

"Granger!" he shouted to her "you want a truce, fine we have one. But I can hardly go and stick my neck out in front of my housemates"

"No so instead you insult me" she said to him

"I got them to leave you alone didn't I?" he asked

"Well that's not really good enough" she retorted and slammed her bedroom door shut in his face.

He stood there and stared at her door for what seemed like an eternity. 'Ungrateful' he told himself 'I don't know why I bothered'

But as Draco tried to sleep his mind was just whirring away at the day's events and all the things he had found out.

She needed a friend, she really did. But it couldn't be him. What was the matter with potter and the weasel? Why weren't they stickin up for her? It wasn't his job

"It's not down to me" he shouted and fell into a fitful sleep

The next morning Harry woke early

"Ron wake up!" he yelled and shoved his ginger friend

"Gah, go away Harry" Ron mumbled "Professor Sinistra is about to have a shower"

"Ron you dirty perv, wake up" Harry laughed at him

"What, why, what?" Ron asked sitting up in alarm

"Dreaming of the teachers were we?" his raven haired friend asked him

"Well I am sure she winked at me yesterday at dinner" he said indignantly

"Yeah more like she had something in her eye" Harry rolled on the floor laughing

"It's not funny" Ron fumed; he had a typical redhead's temperament sometimes.

"Anyway I thought we could walk Hermione to breakfast this morning" Harry told him

"Oh ok, good idea" Ron said "won't she be there already? She is always there before us"

"Ah but today we are up earlier" Harry said

"Why what time is it?" his friend asked him

"Seven" Harry told him

"SEVEN" Ron shouted and pulled his covers back over himself "you woke me up from a nice dream at SEVEN O'CLOCK, just to walk Hermione to breakfast. You're a git. Do you know that?"

"Well you're awake now. So you may as well get up" Harry laughed

"Ron? Ron?"

But it was no use, Ron had gone back to sleep

"Fine I'll go by myself" Harry said and left.

Hermione was collecting together the books she needed for the day when a knock on the portrait was heard

"Who is it?" she called out

"Me, Harry" she recognized her friend's voice and let him in immediately

"What's wrong Harry?" she asked in concern

"Nothing, I just thought I would walk you to breakfast" he said

"Ok who are you and what have you done with Harry?" she joked "Harry you never get up this early"

"Well truth is I couldn't sleep" he said "but I might as well make the most of it and take a pretty girl to her food"

Hermione laughed, Harry was so sweet sometimes. But under Ron's influence he could often be quite a git himself.

Harry carried Hermione's book bag to the great hall and sat across from her.

"So seeing as we survived the first day of classes I think we might make it through the rest of the year" he said

"don't be too sure Harry" she said solemnly "this is about the time Voldemort was going to use me to capture you, the game plan may have changed but I would wager the game is still set to start somehow or another"

"You're right I suppose" he said "thank god that you aren't there anymore though"

There wasn't anyone else except a young ravenclaw and Professor McGonagall in the great hall yet so it was peaceful for the time being.

Hermione finished her breakfast and frowned at Harry. He was staring at her in a way that made her feel more than a little uncomfortable.

"Harry?" she asked "do I have some food on my face or something?"

"What? Oh no" he said and flushed bright red "I was just thinking"

"Ok" she said and sighed, she knew what was coming, and he was going to ask her about whether she was raped or not.

"Well I don't really know how to ask it" he muttered

"Just spit it out please Harry, I have a vague idea anyway" she mumbled

"Ok, Hermione did any of the death eaters, you know, erm, erm..."He said

"Rape me?" she asked, getting impatient with him

"Yes" he said sullenly, he really hadn't liked to ask, but he thought with some of the comments the slytherins were making it would be better if he knew.

"No Harry" she said and as she said it her voice got a bit worse.

Harry however didn't seem to notice this, but Hermione did. 'Perhaps if I told the truth it would get better' she thought to herself, although she was still resolved that she would never tell anyone that that had happened.

Draco Malfoy entered the great hall for breakfast, he felt so tired and then when he looked about he noticed Scarhead and Granger the only ones on the gryffindor table. But wait a minute what was potter asking her? If she was raped? Well why was she lying to him?

She must be ashamed. This bothered Draco more than it did before. Because he thought she would just get over it. But then he never had any reason to believe it was a serious thing for a young girl to endure, he had never heard about it before really.

Ron stormed into their transfiguration class. Slammed his books down and glared at his best friends

"What's the matter Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked him

"Nothing Professor" he said and sat down between Hermione and Harry

"Then stop making so much noise over nothing and 5 points from gryffindor for your tardiness" she said

"What's the matter Ron?" Hermione asked him

"I can't believe you two I really can't" he stropped "letting me miss breakfast and be late for class"

"Ron, we can't pull you out of bed when you refuse mate" Harry said "I did wake you up remember"

"Yes at SEVEN O'CLOCK" he shouted

"Mr. WEASLEY" McGonagall yelled "come and sit next to Mr. Malfoy at once"

"Great" Ron muttered whilst picking his things up "and this day just gets better and better"

"Do not touch me" Draco said as Ron clumsily leaned on him when retrieving his wand from his bag

"Trust me, I don't think I want the disease" Ron sneered

"Oh you're so funny weasel" Draco smirked at him "let's see how funny you are when the time comes"

"What are you talking about ferret?" Ron asked him

"You don't think I will just let you get away with what you said, do you?" the blonde asked him

"What are you going to do about it?" Ron asked getting more annoyed by the minute

"I am gonna hex you until even st mungo's wont have a name for your condition her" Draco informed him

"Oh really?" the redhead said and Draco felt annoyed that Ron wasn't biting like he usually did.

"I really can't be bothered with your crap." Ron said

"Well you should be" Draco said still trying to rile Ron up

"Yeah well some of us have decided to grow up" Ron said "and stop talking to me, you snobby prat"

Draco inwardly fumed and ignored everybody for the rest of the class.

Ron caught up with his friends after class

"Let's go to lunch" he said, and Hermione felt relief, she knew how pigheaded Ron could be at times.

"Sorry about this morning" Hermione told him "I hadn't realized"

"s'ok" Ron grumbled and then smiled "can't stay mad at you guys over something so silly"

"So what was Malfoy talking to you about in class?" Harry asked him

"He was trying to threaten me" Ron explained "but I told him I couldn't be bothered with his crap, so now I am expecting a curse to hit my back as I walk"

"That would be just his idea of fun too, hitting someone from behind" Harry said scornfully.

A few days passed pretty uneventfully, Hermione still received jibes from many slytherins, Draco still was nasty sometimes and Harry and Ron watched their backs, just in case.

Hermione's voice hadn't changed again since Harry had asked her and Snape was going wild that it had gotten worse, believing it to be his potion that made it worse. She didn't want to tell him her thoughts on the matter, for that would mean admitting the truth and she just wasn't ready to tell anybody yet.

Lucius was still awaiting trial and Draco was receiving daily owls from his mother asking him everything that happened, he couldn't and wouldn't tell her. For as messed up as his growing up had been, he still believed his mother loved his father and he didn't want her to be hurt.

Four weeks after the beginning of school, Hermione was eating breakfast on her own, when she pushed her bowl away feeling nauseous.

"Everything alright miss granger?" Dumbledore asked as he passed her

"Yes sir, am just feeling a little under the weather today" she told him

"Well in that case, take the day off and run by Madam Pomfrey" he told her "just to be sure"

"Yes sir" she told him and left the hall behind him

"Miss Granger, what symptoms do you have?" Madam Pomfrey asked

Hermione was sitting on the edge of the bed kicking her legs in boredom

"I just felt a bit sick" she said "nothing major, but the headmaster wanted me to come and just check I am ok"

"I see" the medi-witch tutted and went to fetch her wand.

"Just sit still whilst I take a reading of your stomach"

Hermione sat there whilst Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over Hermione's stomach and made strange noises now and again

"Um hum" the nurse at last said

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked

"Well it would appear that you are pregnant" he told Hermione

This was too much for the young witch and she proceeded to cry her eyes out

"Shall I fetch Albus?" the older woman asked

"No" Hermione said "just get rid of it"

"I can't do that" Madam Pomfrey said sadly

"What do you mean you can't?" Hermione asked in horror "there must be some sort of abortion spell or potion"

"Well there is, but it's not safe" the nurse told her "there is only a thirty percent chance that the termination would work"

"So there's a seventy percent chance that the baby would stay?" Hermione asked "it's worth a try then at least"

"No, you don't understand" Madam Pomfrey replied "there's a thirty percent chance the baby would be terminated, but there is a seventy percent chance that it would kill you both"

Hermione was horrified by this and cried again

"Now love, calm yourself down. That's why they made abortions illegal" the older witch stated and rubbed Hermione's shoulder

"What will I do?" she shrieked

"I am fetching Albus" the medi-witch said firmly and went into her office to use the fireplace.

Dumbledore appeared in the hospital wing within moments and he did not look happy, his eyes weren't twinkling and he had a look of thunder upon his face.

"Miss granger" he said "I feared this would happen"

"Are you still sticking with the fact that you were not raped or are you going to tell us the truth?"

"Fine, I was raped" she muttered and looked at the floor, "I didn't want to lie; I didn't even know that I could under the veritaserum, but I just couldn't say yes"

"Do not worry, our mind often doesn't behave as we would like it too" the old man said and sat next to her "your voice has returned to normal now though I see"

"Yes" Hermione said "I realized before that it was because I lied, it must have been some sort of effect of the veritaserum"

"Snape will be most interested in this discovery" Dumbledore said, more to him self than to her "anyway back to the matter in hand, have you any thoughts as to what you are going to do?"

Hermione shook her head as tears ran down her face "Madam Pomfrey said abortions were illegal"  
"do you know who's baby it is?" he asked her kindly  
"no" she said "it wasn't only one person that did it"

"I see" he sighed "we must do a test"

"A test?" she asked

"Yes, we need to know who fathered the child and then we need to report this new information to the Aurors. I know you don't want the world to know Hermione but this is very important evidence for your case" he told her "now how we go about determining this is we need Madam Pomfrey to run a scan on your abdomen. And then we can send the results to the databank at the ministry and they will match it to any persons on their file with the same substance"

"Substance?" she asked

"yes, its what a person is made of" he told her "most people have a substance file at the ministry, you don't as you are too young, but every witch or wizard over twenty have to have a substance scan"

Hermione assumed that substance was kind of like DNA, but she decided against having to explain it to the headmaster, it had taken her long enough to learn about it as it was, and she was used to muggle life.

"Ok" she said "how long will it take them to get back to us"

"Not long at all" Dumbledore said "they are not very busy in that department"

Madam Pomfrey came and did the scan and the headmaster disappeared with the results. Hermione kicked her heels for a bit more and then asked if she could leave

"Stay where you are dear" the nurse told her "he should be back soon"

Fifty minutes later Dumbledore reappeared with a very anxious looking Professor McGonagall.

"Well Hermione they have bought back the results" he said and frowned

"What is it?" she asked

"The father is………

Sorry to end on a bit of a cliffhanger, I am not completely sure who it's going to be yet, but if you want to know then give me loads of reviews. So far I only have six.

But thank you very much to the people that have reviewed. And keep it up




	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

Chapter Four – Reactions

"Lucius Malfoy" Dumbledore said with disgust

Hermione stared at him in horror as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I thought that might be the case" she whimpered

"Now Hermione you will have no choice but to keep the baby, however it will be possible to put it for adoption once born. However news will get out that it is a Malfoy child and there may be an awful lot of trouble"

"Well why can't we keep it quiet?" she asked

"We can try, but I don't think its going to be possible after a couple of months anyway" he said. "I am afraid I must go and see to another pressing matter, if you need me at any time then feel free to come and see me"

As the headmaster left, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall came over.

"Do not fret Miss Granger, we are all here for you" her head of house Professor McGonagall told her

"Thank you" Hermione sniffed.

"I will need to do further tests to check on the health of the baby and to determine exactly how far gone you are" the nurse told her "would you rather I did them now, or do you want to come back tomorrow?"

"You might as well get them over and done with" the young witch muttered

Madam Pomfrey scanned Hermione's stomach with the wand a few more times and wrote furiously on a piece of paper.

"Well it would seem you are approximately two months pregnant, and the baby is perfectly healthy. Would you like to know what sex it is?"

Hermione didn't want to know, she didn't want to know anything about this demon spawn growing inside her, but even though her mind was set, she found herself saying "yes please"

"It's going to be a girl" the medi-witch told her and grinned.

Hermione was beginning to wonder what on earth she looked so happy for, but then it occurred to her that perhaps they had never known anyone in this position before, with just being a school nurse, so she bit her tongue and left the hospital wing as fast as she could.

"MISS GRANGER" a voice shouted out behind her

Hermione whipped around and nearly knocked the old witch flying

"I wanted to give you this potion to stop any morning sickness you are having" she told "and also I am setting the babies due date for April the twelfth"

"Ok" Hermione said grabbing the bottle from her and running to her head girl's room as fast as her feet would go.

She walked through the portrait and found the head boy sat on the sofa with his feet up on the coffee table

"Why hello granger, couldn't be bothered with classes today?" he asked

"No not really, I was feeling a little under the weather" she told him

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly

"Not really, but I am a bit better" she told him

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked

"No thanks" Hermione said "anyway I have work to catch up on"

"Suit yourself then" he sneered

Hermione went into her room, pulled the stopper from the potion bottle and immediately took a deep swig, she had felt the nausea coming whilst talking to Draco, but she couldn't afford to give it away.

She knew she was going to have to tell Harry and Ron and she was dreading it.

Dinner time came and Hermione realized that she was really hungry after missing both breakfast and lunch and so made her way down to the great hall.

"There she is" Ron shouted as she made to sit down

"Where've you been 'mione?" Harry asked her

"Just feeling a bit off today" she lied "I am ok"

"So long as you're alright then" Harry said and smiled at her

She didn't want to tell them yet, she had no idea what to say. 'by the way yes I was raped, I lied to you and now I am pregnant with the devil him self's child' she didn't imagine that going down too well. So it would need a great deal of consideration before she could tell anybody.

"Anyway we have to go to quidditch practice now, bye" the boys said and left the hall. Hermione looked about there wasn't an awful lot of people left in there now. 'might as well go and do my homework then' she told herself and left.

She was just about to enter her common room when she heard voices coming from inside

"Draco, it is all going to come out sooner or later, you tell me what went on in this house right now. Or so help me" a feminine voice cried

"Mother, I told you I don't really know" Draco lied.

"Fine have it your way then" Narcissa snapped "let me hear it from a lot of strangers at your father's trial"

"Sorry" Draco said and then everything went quiet

Hermione took this chance to enter the common room, where she found Draco sat on the sofa with his head back and eyes closed. She saw slight tearstains on his cheeks. As he heard her he snapped his head up and eyes open. He rubbed his face with his sleeve and turned away from her, the last thing he wanted was for her to see he'd been crying.

"Its ok Draco" she said and sat down next to him "if there is anything I can do to help you"

"Help me?" he asked "why on earth should you help me? Anyway you can't. My mother demands to know what happened when you were imprisoned. I can't bring myself to tell her and she doesn't want to hear it from strangers. I need to either brave it and tell her or let her find out from the stuffy old people at the ministry"

"You should tell her" she told him "I know it's hard for you, but at least she would be able to control herself at the trial. If the trials the first time she hears any of it she might not be able to cope with the rest of it. It's not fair for her to go through that"

"You really are complicated Hermione" Draco told her "you have been through more than anyone and you still say it's not fair on my mother, how can you be so selfless all the time?"

"What good would it do me if I wasn't?" she asked him "I don't know your mother, but I know how I would feel if I were her, and I think that if you cant do it then I could perhaps write her a letter or something for you"

"No, no not that" Draco said "I don't think she could cope with that. I will floo her later and tell her. I think you're right"

Hermione knew she should tell Draco her most recent news as the trial was only a few weeks away and everybody would find out anyway, but she knew he would go mad. But then he seemed ok at the moment. And his mood swings were fairly frequent. Perhaps she had better tell him now.

"Draco" she said softly

"Yes" he said looking up from the book he'd just picked up

"I do know something about it all that you don't know yet though" she said. Her body was rapidly turning to jelly and she was beginning to get quite frightened

"What's that?" he asked putting the book back down

"Erm, well I only found out today and nobody knows except for a couple of teachers" she muttered

"What?" he asked

"I'm, I am, erm I am pregnant" she blurted out really quickly

Draco stared at her his mouth agape "you, you're what?"

"I am pregnant" she said and burst into tears "I am sorry"

"Who's the father?" he asked, already knowing the answer

"Your father" she told him "I really am so sorry"

"No!" he shouted at her "you don't have to be sorry. It's not your fault. This blame lies on my father. Don't you apologize again. I mean it"

Hermione just sat and looked at him

"You are going to get rid of it" he stated

"I, I can't" she said and told him what Pomfrey had told her

"Fantastic" he said "this news is going to kill my mother, no don't cry anymore I am not mad at you"

Hermione just sniffled and Draco went and fetched a handkerchief for her

"I feel so bad for your mother" she sniffled

"Let me worry about my mother, you need to concentrate on you" he said and before he knew it he had hugged her. He hurried off quickly after that not knowing what to say to her. He needed time to think and he still needed to speak to his mother yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

**Chapter Five – It all comes out**

Later that evening Hermione was in her bedroom lying on her bed just crying, she was trying her very best to be strong, but she wasn't doing all that well, when she heard a knock on her door

"Come in" she mumbled knowing it would be Draco after all he was the only other person who could get in.

The door opened slightly and his blonde head stuck through the door

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked

"Yeah come in" she said and wiped her tears on the handkerchief he gave her earlier on.

He came in and sat on the chair from her dresser

"I spoke to my mother" he told her, Hermione realized that he looked a bit of a mess himself

"How did it go?" she asked

"Not well, not well at all. She nearly had some sort of attack and in the end a healer had to be summoned and she was sedated heavily" he winced at this part and Hermione felt bad for herself, for him and for his mother

"The funny thing is" he began "I thought she would be mad at you, but she isn't. She is mad at us, me, her but mostly my father. She says how could we have sat back and let all this happen to you"

Hermione realized that Mrs. Malfoy must be entirely different to the woman she had imagined her to be.

"She said if you need anything at all then I am to let her know" he continued

"Thank you but I am sure I will be fine" Hermione said and looked at the floor

"What did potter and Weasley say when you told them?" he asked her

"I didn't, I haven't told them yet" she said "I don't know how to"

"I see" he said "I suppose it's not the easiest topic to bring up, if I can help in any way then I will"

"Draco, you shouldn't feel obligated to help me just because of something your father did. I told you before you are not him" she said

"No, no I'm not but I could have freed you a long time before I did, so I am not completely innocent am i?" he said

"You made up for it. It was hard for you as well. I know it must have caused you an immense amount of inner turmoil" she said "I will have to tell them tomorrow, but I think I will be best to tackle it on my own, I appreciate your offer of help though"

"Goodnight" he said and left.

Hermione lay awake all night concocting practice speeches to make to Harry and Ron the next day and each and every one she decided against. She didn't know how she could do it. With Draco it had been easier, he'd known she'd been raped and it was also relevant to the topic at the time. Harry and Ron didn't really ever bring it up so it was going to be harder. She was amazed at how well Draco had taken it to be honest she thought he would have been furious with her. Perhaps he was growing up a bit after all.

She drifted in and out of sleep as early morning dawned and hoped she would find the courage that she needed when the time was right.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry potter or any other characters in this fiction

I have decided to write my own version in it. So the happenings of THBP haven't happened in this. Please take that into account.

I also want to apologise for the short length of the previous chapter sorry

**Chapter Six – Support and Abandonment**

Hermione sat in the great hall awaiting her best friends. She had decided the best option for her was to just come out with it and then deal with the consequences. Perhaps a short walk around the lake or something would be for the best she thought, after all walls have ears.

Harry and Ron eventually entered the hall, they sat next to her and began piling their plates with food.

"Could we go for a walk in a minute?" she asked them "I have something I need to tell you"

Harry raised an eyebrow and nodded. Ron just grunted due to his full mouth.

She was getting more and more agitated that they seemed to be taking so long with their food and it would soon be time for their classes.

"Ok let's go" Ron said eventually

"Where did you want to walk to?" Harry asked

"Just around the lake" she responded and headed out.

They walked around the edge of the lake, the mist hung low over it and the giant squid was nowhere to be seen.

"So are you going to talk to us then or not?" the temperamental redhead asked

"Yes Ron"

"Anytime today?" he asked

She just stood and sobbed into her hands. Harry pulled her hands away and looked at her

"Ron don't be like that" he told his friend "here let's sit down"

They sat on the grass even though it was slightly damp and Hermione took a deep breath

"I'm…I'm pregnant" she spluttered quickly and then resumed her sobbing

"You're what?" Ron asked dumbly

"I said I'm pregnant"

"Who is the father?" Harry asked

"Lucius Malfoy" she muttered

"I'll kill him" the boy who lived yelled "you told me you weren't raped"

"I lied" she said "I couldn't bare the thought of people looking at me as though I was something else, tainted goods, a victim"

"But Hermione you are a victim" Ron said "and we are here to help you, to support you and to trust with any problems you have"

"Thanks Ron" she hugged him and turned to hug Harry but he stepped backwards

"Cant you kill it?" he asked heartlessly

"No" she said "I asked straightaway as soon as I found out. But it's not possible, and anyway this baby will be partly me even if it's not what I wanted"

She lent to hug him then as she had Ron but he recoiled

"Harry?" she asked frightened by his reaction

"I can't" he said "I'm sorry, I just can't. Not yet anyway"

He ran off then, she knew he would. And they just watched for they couldn't have stopped him and he wouldn't have let them anyway.

Harry was usually the calmer of the two, the more rational. Ron being the hotheaded and stubborn one. But something had happened and Hermione had been prepared to possibly lose Ron because of this but not Harry. And something inside her broke.

Ron walked her back to her dormitory,

"But I have to go to class" she protested

"Not today" he said "today you can rest"

"But what about Harry?"

"He'll come round 'mione"

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah, I mean its Harry potter the boy who lived, your best friend. He loves you just like I do, just takes time I suppose"

"Stay with me Ron?"

"And miss potions?" he asked

"Yes"

"Ok just this once" he grinned and sat next to her. She leaned into him and he stroked her hair as she fell asleep.

"Where are all the gryffindors?" Professor Snape asked as he surveyed his half empty classroom

"Do you want me to go and look sir?" Draco asked

"Yes, please do. But I want you back in ten minutes"

Draco wandered along the corridors looking for the golden trio. It wasn't like them to all skip classes, he was worried. Perhaps Hermione had told Ron and Harry and they had harmed her, no, they wouldn't do that. They were too good friends

He rounded a corner and saw Harry sitting on a step staring into space

"Pothead, Snape wants you in class" he sneered

"Snape can sod off" Harry said and continued to stare

"Fine. Your funeral"

"I wish"

Draco had left at that point, potter was bad enough to deal with at the best of times, but when he was like that it wasn't even fun to goad him. He entered the heads common room to look for Hermione and found Ron sat on the sofa, Hermione's head on his knee and him stroking her hair

"What's going on weasel?" he asked him, not maliciously like he usually would have.

"I don't think I can tell you" Ron sighed and looked down at the sleeping girl

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment then sat down in the chair

"I already know" he said "I know because she had to tell my mother what happened, and I know because I have been trying to help her"

Ron just looked at him; he wasn't sure if Malfoy was telling the truth or not, so he decided to just let him carry on talking.

"I haven't done a very good job of it, but I have been trying. My mother didn't take the news very well, but she wants to help her too"

"What can anybody do though?" Ron asked

"I wish I knew"

"Harry's gone nuts"

"Yeah I saw him a minute ago, he didn't look happy. I suppose he didn't take it too well"

"He didn't take it out on you then?"

"No he was unusually placid"

"Shame" Ron said "you say you have tried helping Hermione, and I know you rescued her, but why?"

"I'm not my father Weasley, and though I never liked any of you, I wouldn't wish that on anybody and I feel the need to redeem myself, not for anything I did. But for what I didn't do" he explained

Ron just looked at him and looked back down at Hermione; he moved a strand of hair from her eye

"What didn't you do?" he asked

"I didn't save her sooner, and I didn't save her because I wanted to save her, I saved her for my own selfish purposes. I didn't stop what was happening to her because I was too ignorant to realize what was going on. I should have known and I didn't. I was too busy thinking it was great that my father had finally managed to shut the know it all mudblood up"

"What were your purposes?"  
"My father told me the night that I did save her that he had continuously raped her; I wanted her out of the house because I felt that my mother was being mistreated by it all. I didn't even stop to think how Hermione would have felt, I even made her walk all the way up from hogsmeade to Hogwarts, and it's shameful really. I didn't even stop to take the time to realize how badly she was injured both outside and in. I know the extent of all her injuries now and it horrifies me to think that I let her walk all that way and just left her there. I can't redeem myself for all that I know. But I am going to have a good try"

"She needs all the help she can get" Ron said "even from you"

"Thanks" Draco said, he didn't like Ron and knew Ron didn't like him, but he felt some sort of silent agreement between them to protect Hermione and whatever she would have to face

Draco didn't return to potions, and he doubted Snape expected him too really, after all being a teacher he would be in the know as to what was going on.

He decided to go and look for Harry again; maybe he could help Hermione in that respect at least.

"Good old potter, always easy to find" he drawled, Harry hadn't moved from his previous spot and seemed to be still staring at the same place as before. He didn't respond until Draco sat next to him.

"What do you want Malfoy?" he asked

"In general or from you?" the blonde quipped

"From me of course"

"I want you to go into that room back there, take a look at the sleeping girl and ask yourself what she needs" he said

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked

"Because I have nothing better to do with my time than bother you, I thought you would have realized this after six years"

"No really"

"I just had a heart to heart with weasel, I really don't think I can stomach more than one a day, but I will tell you one thing"

"Oh yeah, what vital piece of wisdom do you have to impart today?"

"Friends are meant to be together through thick or thin, to trust each other, to care for each other, to look out for each other and to help each other. No matter what"

"And where did you read this soppy idea of friendship? Or is just that's what you think friends are like, what with not having any of your own?"

"Fine potter, be that way. But she needs you"

"Ron will help her"

"She needs you both"

"I can't help her; I can't even stand to look at her"

"You'll come round"

"You don't know me" Harry snarled

"And for that I am eternally grateful. However I have said what I have to say. Do with it what you will"

"I plan on ignoring it really"

"Suit yourself" Draco said as he stood up "but potter I wouldn't hang around if I were you. She won't forget who helped her in her time of need"

"Just in it for the glory are you Malfoy?" Harry spat

"Actually I was just in it for myself, funny how things change isn't it."

And he left

6


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